Discussion of Stinger paint quality (Was - Paint Chip Issue)

[StingaGT]

I learned that there is a code-red word, that once uttered there is no turning back: "Buyback". At the recommendation of my service advisor who said they could only do spot touchups on the paint defects, I opened a case with Kia's special batphone for Stinger owners. I explained that I have issues in three categories, that the first trip to the dealer couldn't address:

Body integrity:
Sunroof popping and creaking (reduced but not addressed)
Hatch rattle (not fixed)
Door seal popping (fixed)

Electronics/Safety (Service said "could not reproduce")
False positives on BSM, hands on wheel alerts when hands are on wheel
Random disabling of collision avoidance
Car Play crackling and fade to rear in stereo head unit

Paint:
As shown above + ghosted image of badge (which 2 body shops have told me is a base coat defect). Body shop estimate to paint just impacted areas is about $1700.

The batphone rep kept saying that perhaps they could help me as a "goodwill gesture", but that it would be at the discretion of the regional rep. I asked why it takes goodwill vs. stated warranty coverages, so she asked me what it would take to make me happy: I told her that I want Kia to fully address the issues or buy back the car. I was then told that I'd need to go to an escalations line and that would likely take a week or more for even first contact. I told her that I wanted to give Kia a chance to address the issues before going to that point, but she said the simple fact I uttered that word took it out of her hands! Just meant as an FYI for now, will keep you apprised of progress.

I hope all goes well for you. I also met with regional rep after waiting a month to address scratch on interior trim which I was not able to identify during vehicle pickup. I wanted to get a case number going for poor paint adhesion with him but he didn't seem to be willing to.

How did you get a special phone number for Stinger owner?
It's been 1.5 months since vehicle pickip and I haven't received any mail about it nor free headphones that most of people received.

 

[MerlintheMad]

It's been 1.5 months since vehicle pickip and I haven't received any mail about it nor free headphones that most of people received.

It's likely that the headphones giveaway is over. The scuttlebutt last year was, initially, that the first 10K Stinger buyers in US were getting headphones. Then that changed to first 15K buyers. That number was exceeded near the end of last year.

 

[GronkSoyFiesta]

The number is 855-454-2847

 

[Peter Biller]

Just an update on my end. I have roughly 16,000 interstate miles on my blue stinger (Since Nov 2018). The bumper looks good enough, no chips down to the plastic, just dentsiin the paint really. The dark chrome grille trim pieces have normal impact marks. The hood has 18! chips in it and it's the most horizontal surface of the three. Even the driver door has 3 chips. Not sure if they are aluminium as well...that would explain things. Anything that hits the hood leaves a mark! It's rediculous! By the time this car has 200 k on it the hood is likely bare aluminum Anyway...I have an appointment for the regional rep to check things out while I'm on vacation. I would expect that the hood gets completely stripped and repainted with a the correct primers and surface prep. I have nothing bad to say about the Stinger and my dealership has done an outstanding job so far (Battleground Kia in Greensboro). Hopefully things keep going that way with them. I'll keep you posted.

 

[TwiceStung]

Just an update on my end. I have roughly 16,000 interstate miles on my blue stinger (Since Nov 2018). The bumper looks good enough, no chips down to the plastic, just dentsiin the paint really. The dark chrome grille trim pieces have normal impact marks. The hood has 18! chips in it and it's the most horizontal surface of the three. Even the driver door has 3 chips. Not sure if they are aluminium as well...that would explain things. Anything that hits the hood leaves a mark! It's rediculous! By the time this car has 200 k on it the hood is likely bare aluminum Anyway...I have an appointment for the regional rep to check things out while I'm on vacation. I would expect that the hood gets completely stripped and repainted with a the correct primers and surface prep. I have nothing bad to say about the Stinger and my dealership has done an outstanding job so far (Battleground Kia in Greensboro). Hopefully things keep going that way with them. I'll keep you posted.

Not aluminum.

 

[Revvdmedia]

Not aluminum.

I agree that we do not have aluminum body panels, I checked this on my Mustang which did have aluminum panels and my magnets were not attracted to the aluminum panels (they are non-ferromagnetic). The magnets were attracted to all panels on the Stinger, so I'm sure they're all just galvanized steel (per Kia's literature). That means paint chips run the risk of rust if bare metal is exposed, although galvanized steel has a surface protection which should help mitigate or reduce the rust risk if the galvanization is not compromised upon impact.

On another note, I wanted to comment that I think my White paint is "good" (besides factory induced damage/chips) since I have only thus far found the one huge paint chip and a small one on the pillar, I will leave my final judgement for the detailing I will be doing in the next 1 to 2 months which gets me up close and personal with the paint.

I do fear rebadging the rear since my car did have damage to the paint on the side skirt and under the headlight, it doesn't give me utmost confidence with the paint on the urethane panels, but the steel panels seem ok...

 

[Peter Biller]

I agree that we do not have aluminum body panels, I checked this on my Mustang which did have aluminum panels and my magnets were not attracted to the aluminum panels (they are non-ferromagnetic). The magnets were attracted to all panels on the Stinger, so I'm sure they're all just galvanized steel (per Kia's literature). That means paint chips run the risk of rust if bare metal is exposed, although galvanized steel has a surface protection which should help mitigate or reduce the rust risk if the galvanization is not compromised upon impact.

On another note, I wanted to comment that I think my White paint is "good" (besides factory induced damage/chips) since I have only thus far found the one huge paint chip and a small one on the pillar, I will leave my final judgement for the detailing I will be doing in the next 1 to 2 months which gets me up close and personal with the paint.

I do fear rebadging the rear since my car did have damage to the paint on the side skirt and under the headlight, it doesn't give me utmost confidence with the paint on the urethane panels, but the steel panels seem ok...

Good idea to test with a magnet and thanks for posting!
I've debadged my stinger and found that the clearcoat and paint on the plastic parts is rather tough. I've used a heat gun on medium to low settings and took my time to warm up the surrounding areas of the badges also so they would not soak up the heat in the emblems then started using a plastic scraper but would use fishing line the next time as I've left two small blemishes in the clearcoat (3/16 long scratches on the rear lid). With a fishing line you won't really contact the paint but rather cut through the foam of the double sided tape. Just take your time. Getting the remaining adhesive off took longer than taking off the badges as I didn't want to use too aggressive solvents.

I just dropped off my car at Kia yesterday to get the paint chips evaluated and some other things done while on vacation. My hope is that the regional rep shows up to have a look and authorizes a respray of the hood which now has 20 chips in it after 16,000 miles. The pumper still has no chips but rather small dents in the paint as the plastic behind the paint cushions any impact. Other work being done: Tappet noise being evaluated and rotors are pulsing again after 6000 miles. The dustless pads Kia uses on these early Stingers are too gummy when getting hot I think and cause uneven deposits on the rotor surfaces. I've asked for new rotors and better pads but my hopes to get that are not high but they did resurface them last time so a second time resurfacing should not be acceptable by anyone's standard. Anyway I'm rambling....this stuff should be in other threads.
I'll know more in a week or so.

 

[gobluestinger]

I picked up a demo 2018 GT2 last month and was given some discounts in addition to the lease rebate. However, last night when showing the car to a friend he pointed out rust spots on the hood and even the hood vents. Today I washed the car and can definitely see these spots all over the car. Mostly on the hood though. In addition I did find a large chip (?) down almost to the bare metal on the lip of the hood drivers side. I plan on taking it to a local Kia dealer on Wednesday. I am not taking it the dealer I purchased it from because it is 3 hours away. I am kind of disappointed in how prominent these are and possibly this is why the dealer gave me such a good deal? Any thoughts on how I should handle this? Even though this was a demo (currently 5200 miles) I feel a car this new should not have issues like this.

 

[MerlintheMad]

No, you should not put up with paint flaws or damage not caused by you or road debris. (If you purchased the paint protection insurance it will cover any damage that fits under a business card. Otherwise, Kia only warranties paint quality. This includes clear coat.)

Your first pic looks like it could be clear coat. Those (if clear coat) should be relatively easy to correct.

The chip out of your hood rear edge is typical of the damage reported quite a few times, and if it doesn't line up with the windshield wiper when it's pulled up, it means the damage occurred during production. A similar edge chip occurs in the forward edge of the hatch. Touch up paint works especially well on edges like this. You've got the pictures as evidence, so you can live with your car's flaws more easily if you touch it up after you've documented your flaws/damages.

Escalate this with Kia Corp, and get a case number. Don't just stop with the dealer.

Welcome, btw: sorry your intro is over something negative. May your Stinger experience be a satisfying and FUN one!

 

[gobluestinger]

No, you should not put up with paint flaws or damage not caused by you or road debris. (If you purchased the paint protection insurance it will cover any damage that fits under a business card. Otherwise, Kia only warranties paint quality. This includes clear coat.)

Your first pic looks like it could be clear coat. Those (if clear coat) should be relatively easy to correct.

The chip out of your hood rear edge is typical of the damage reported quite a few times, and if it doesn't line up with the windshield wiper when it's pulled up, it means the damage occurred during production. A similar edge chip occurs in the forward edge of the hatch. Touch up paint works especially well on edges like this. You've got the pictures as evidence, so you can live with your car's flaws more easily if you touch it up after you've documented your flaws/damages.

Escalate this with Kia Corp, and get a case number. Don't just stop with the dealer.

Welcome, btw: sorry your intro is over something negative. May your Stinger experience be a satisfying and FUN one!

Thank you for your input. It does stink that I am already dealing with something like this so early on. I live next to numerous A4s, A8s and BMWs. And it sucks to tell them my current experience when they ask "Hows the Kia?" in the sarcastic tone. But regardless, I called the Kia Stinger Hotline and got a case number. The person I spoke with was very friendly and knowledgeable and told me how the process will work. Was told the dealership will take pictures of the spots and then forward them to the district manager. He then will make a choice on what to do. So I'll will keep you all updated. Thanks for your help!

 

[MerlintheMad]

On this thread, those "name brands" have been dragged through the mud of crappy paint jobs too. So you're just one of the unlucky few; just as one them with crappy paint is one of their unlucky few. Threads like this one attract the drivers with issues; making it seem like they are more numerous than they actually are. I'm sure your car looks great from five, six feet away. And once the dealer has the pics to send to Kia Corporation, you can tend to the cosmetic, temporarily. Do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better!

 

[PieceOfChum]

I apologize in-advance for the long post. It's been a bit of a saga and I wanted to vent.... CRAP! - I have a paint issue too. And worse, KIA won't do anything about it! It's that inside edge of the hood. Two spots. First noticed it before the holidays. I kick myself for not noticing earlier...
View attachment 20463 View attachment 20464

I had the same nearly exact issue, I lightly sanded the area with a wet and very fine sandpaper meant for this type of thing. Let it dry then applied 3 coats of touch up paint and let it dry for a couple of days in between. When I went to wash it the paint just rubbed off. I just live with it now and just apply some was every couple of months so it won't rust or turn another color.

 

[forzanerazzurri]

The amount of time and effort needed by owners to stay on top of the amount of issues still going on in this thread is absurd. I'm sure your new car looks good fron 6 feet away? What the? This just isn't consistent with what typical new car owners experience at any price point, nor would it be acceptable.

 

[Killianz26]

I have a lease, I had a portion of the car ( Aurora Black) painted under warranty.
There are still more chips showing up on parts that were not painted.
Do you think having the paint chips will cause issues when turning in the lease? I can't keep a car with these paint issues long term.

I just don't have it in me to fight with the dealer to get the paint repainted (they should have repainted the whole car)

 

[Revvdmedia]

I had the same nearly exact issue, I lightly sanded the area with a wet and very fine sandpaper meant for this type of thing. Let it dry then applied 3 coats of touch up paint and let it dry for a couple of days in between. When I went to wash it the paint just rubbed off. I just live with it now and just apply some was every couple of months so it won't rust or turn another color.

If the paint is not sticking and you're down to bare metal, I would apply a decontaminant (any type of paint prep, clean it well), then a primer, then a couple or 3 coats of paint, then clear. If it still does not stick, there is something terribly wrong because under that process it should.

Either way, if the paint damage is in an area that you did not inflict or did not happen due to normal wear and tear, the dealer should cover it, but I understand that some won't (understand but don't accept the fact...). I know these ones at the edge of the hood are easy for dealers to blame on the wipers...

 

[Revvdmedia]

The amount of time and effort needed by owners to stay on top of the amount of issues still going on in this thread is absurd. I'm sure your new car looks good fron 6 feet away? What the? This just isn't consistent with what typical new car owners experience at any price point, nor would it be acceptable.

I agree mostly, but somewhat disagree. Paint chips are subjective and most modern paint jobs don't hold up like paint from 20+ years ago. I've been using PPF for years now because modern paint just doesn't handle rock damage well. I had increasingly more areas on my '15 Mustang covered in PPF over my ownership of that car, and I considered the paint otherwise good and acceptable quality.

Paint that came from the factory damaged, or paint chips that peel up excessive paint after succumbing to damage or otherwise dealer inflicted damage are not acceptable. Paint chips are hard to argue. Owners need to find these damaged areas (edge of hood, edge of roof/hatch, headlight, etc) as soon as possible so the dealer can't blame road damage. I showed the dealer my paint damage on the side skirt after driving it home just after delivery and I brought it in the next day to show them, there was no argument on the matter. But I understand some things show up later and it gets increasingly more difficult to defend it as a defect rather than wear and tear as time goes on. That's why I'm handling rattles in their infancy so my dealer can't claim anything to be wear and tear, not when my car is at about 6000kms....

 

[MerlintheMad]

The amount of time and effort needed by owners to stay on top of the amount of issues still going on in this thread is absurd. I'm sure your new car looks good fron 6 feet away? What the? This just isn't consistent with what typical new car owners experience at any price point, nor would it be acceptable.

For someone new to a paint issue, their time dealing with it does not include anybody else's time dealing with similar issues. So either it's worth correcting or it isn't. Their choice. I already said way back there that if I ever have paint issues with this car, I'll get as much satisfaction out of Kia's 36 month (36K mile) paint warranty, as I can, then finish up the job myself: the car is worth it to me.

I am sympathetic toward anyone who finds flaws and failures with their new car. Paint is a relatively minor issue, as long as mechanically and performance wise the car lives up to the hype.

Yes, in this fallen world, five or six feet away is good enough for something to not be noticeable. Not if the car is brand, spanking new; but after driving it for a while. A new off the lot car should look flawless. But in many cases it won't if gone over with intense scrutiny. What then? You can either tell the dealer and Kia and start a case and go through weeks to months of hell trying to make it perfect: or you can look at the cost in time, inconvenience and emotional energy, and decide that "nothing in life has any business being perfect". Just fix it in the most cost effective way possible and move on.

I agree mostly, but somewhat disagree. Paint chips are subjective and most modern paint jobs don't hold up like paint from 20+ years ago. I've been using PPF for years now because modern paint just doesn't handle rock damage well.

Exactly. Real world logistics say that if times and products change, we have to roll with it: I put total frontage PPF on my Stinger c. three months in, because I could tell the front was going to look like hell before the warranty was used up. I bought the road ding insurance (whatever it's called) with the lease, but lost it with the buyout (I think): but decided it was impractical anyway, because there was no way I was going to suffer dings that fit under a business card, and wait to fix them all at once; or fix them myself and lose the insurance repair: what was I thinking? So I just ditched the "insurance" and went on my own. So far, so good. PPF is the answer.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I have a lease, I had a portion of the car ( Aurora Black) painted under warranty.
There are still more chips showing up on parts that were not painted.
Do you think having the paint chips will cause issues when turning in the lease? I can't keep a car with these paint issues long term.

I just don't have it in me to fight with the dealer to get the paint repainted (they should have repainted the whole car)

Originally, I got the "paint chip insurance"; it was explained to me as anything that will fit under a business card is covered by the insurance. Then I got to thinking about it: if I use touch up paint on the obvious damage, there won't be anything for the insurance to "cover" ; but there's no way I will roll with chips, flakes, scratches, dings, nicks or anything for 36 months: I'll be making them look as good as I can. So basically I wasted c. $850 on the paint damage insurance. Heh.

If you are intending to turn in the car at leases end, I think you need to ask your questions of the dealer. What is going to cover your butt? And you need to include what is going to satisfy you vis-à-vis the Stinger's appearance? If I were going to for sure turn in the car at leases end, there is no way I'd invest in PPF or ceramic or any other "heroic measures" to keep the paint looking great. I'd just let it be what it is. Keeping the car washed and waxed is expected to not be guilty of neglect. And using touch up to cover obvious flaws is something I'd need to do to have self respect driving around. I'd stay close to the dealer with undated information on how the paint is faring.

 

[supershanesta]

I have just picked up a GT a little over a week ago. I thought the 2019 model would have these kinks worked out. My car has headlight rub. Only have 400 miles on her. Does this warrant going back to the dealer to correct this issue. Anyone else speak to a dealer regarding this?

 

[ShannonC]

Yes, take it back.